To escape the heat from the street I popped into a coffee shop the other day and treated myself to a frappucchino with a slice of banoffee pie. Whilst my eyes were checking my emails, my ears were alerted to the sound of a young child outside, excited at being allowed to walk the family’s […]

Ice lollies have brought great joy to the world and in recent weeks their ability to rehydrate sweltering bodies has been recognised as potentially lifesaving. It was 25 years ago this month that Jan van den Berg had his own moment in the sun when he claimed the record for the world’s largest ice lolly […]

The heat is on in the UK (well for a few days anyway) with new highest temperatures being set in all four nations.  It’s also possibly the first time on record that Brits have wished they could jet off to the West Indies to enjoy cooler temperatures. The importance of taking water on board to […]

The glorious warm weather (we have even had some on our fair shores this week) being enjoyed across Europe offers a chance to carry on an ancient tradition of getting out and about to celebrate midsummer. The long summer days have inspired artists throughout time, from George Gershwin’s 1934 classic Summertime to Monet’s 1891 masterpiece Grainstacks […]

As the nation prepares to take a well earned breather to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, it’s worth reflecting on the influence Her Majesty has had on modern life. During her 70-year reign she has inspired many through her choice of clothes, jewellery, hairstyle and of course established corgis as the pet by royal […]

How will you spend the forthcoming Bank Holiday? Visiting a local beauty spot or heritage site? or just relaxing at home, possibly pondering how you will spend the double bank holiday coming up in June that marks the 70 year reign of Queen Elizabeth. Well, however you spend the day, spare a thought for Sir […]

You’ll no doubt have heard how dangerous the age of 27 can be for rock stars. The “27 Club” charts the demise of famous musicians at this age. It’s an extensive list that starts with the father of the blues Robert Johnson, includes Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison either side of […]

When it comes to creating inventions that have transformed the world, Japan ranks as high as any country and in the words of Alphaville (this reference will only mean anything if you are a fan of 80s music), everything is Big in Japan From martial arts to video games, electronics and transport, this island in […]

It’s good to laugh and this year marks the 65th anniversary of one of the most memorable April Fools Day pranks. We know from records that April Fools Day has been around many hundreds of years. The exact origins remain a mystery, though connection to the onset of spring heralding merriment and general confusion of […]